Pressure dispensing device for fluid material



B. BOUET Aug. 15, 1967 PRESSURE DISPENSING DEVICE FOR FLUID MATERIAL Filed Aug. 25, 1965 FIG] FIG.3

United States Patent 3,335,913 PRESSURE DISPENSING DEVICE FOR FLUHD MATERIAL Bernard Bouet, Paris, France, assignor to Ejectoret S.A., Geneva, Switzerland, a company of Switzerland Filed Aug. 25, 1965, Ser. No. 482,342 Claims priority, application France, Aug. 31, 1964, 986,677 4 Claims. (Cl. 222-95) This invention relates to the dispensing under a higher pressure than the atmospheric pressure, of fluid materials such as liquids, milks, creams, gels and pastes. It relates more particularly to perfume, lotion and cologne atomisers, dispensers of tooth paste, beauty gels and creams, shaving-creams and other cosmetics, as also dispensers and atomisers, of household cleaning, sanitary, pharmaceutic, dietetic, food materials and the like.

Dispensing devices of most various types for such materials are known, but they are generally expensive, little convenient or not refillable by the user. Most of them require addition of propelling gases, mixed or in contact with the material to be dispensed, or pushing back a piston in a cylinder filled with material to be dispensed, or compressing a flexible pouch containing this material. Other dispensing devices utilize the pressure of a spring to actuate a piston pressing back the material in a cylinder towards a dispensing orifice controlled by a valve, Still other dispensing devices are composed of a lift and force pump, and are wearying and comparatively difficult to operate. Moreover and chiefly when the material is dispensed in the spray state, the distribution is made correctly only under a minimum pressure which many conventional devices do not ensure.

The object of this invention is a device dispensing fluid material under suitable pressure, said device being simple,

'rugged, cheap and refillable by the user.

The device dispensing fluid material under a predetermined minimum pressure, above the atmospheric pressure, which is the object of the invention, comprises a removable, and compressible container, the discharge orifice of which is controlled by a dispensing valve which is normally maintained closed by biasing means of its actuator, and means to exert on the container, at least while the material is being dispensed, a compressing pressure at least equal per unit of surface to the predetermined minimum dispensing pressure.

Such a compressible device can advantageously have the form of a tubular bellow or accord on, and the valve actuator can move axially to open the valve in the opposite direction of the container compression force.

The biasing means of the valve actuator may comprise a spring calibrated for the minimum dispensing pressure,

.and the container may be merely enclosed in a casing comprising a movable bottom which bears on the bottom of the container, the top of which is integral with the actuator of the valve which is fastened to its top and moves freely therewith. The container may also be enclosed in a casing comprising a movable false bottom, bearing against the bottom of the container and constantly subjected to the action of a spring resting on the bottom of the casing and pushing back the false bottom towards the top of the casing with a force at least unitarily equal, to the minimum dispensing pressure when the container is completely Y compressed, the body of the valve fastened to the top of the container being integral with the top of the casing, the valve actuator projecting outside the casing.

3,335,9l3 Patented Aug. 15, 1967 The valve actuator may comprise a discharge tube for the material enclosed in the container and be integral with a dispensing head, possibly having a spraying nozzle, as a bearing member for flattening the container.

The invention relates likewise to the filled compressible containers and to those to be filled with material to be dispensed and used as a refill for the dispensing device. The containers may be readily made cheaply of plastic or of thin metal. In case the refill-containers are filled by the manufacturer of material to be dispensed, this material can be preserved from air contact up to the very moment of dispensing, from the full to empty container, what is particularly advantageous for sterile or air unstable materials.

Among the numerous and various embodiments conceivable by those skilled in the art, the examples described hereafter and shown in the attached drawings give some indications and suggestions for some possibilities of working the invention.

in the attached drawings:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view, in elevation and partly in section of a fluid dispensing device according to the invention.

FIG. 2 is a view similar to the one of FIG. 1 of the same device when spraying.

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic view, in elevation and partly in section, of another spraying device according to the invention.

FIG. 4 is a view of a device similar to the one of FIG. 3 when spraying.

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic View, in elevation and partly in section, of a new dispensing device according to the invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic view, in elevation and partly in section, of a variant of the device of FIG. 1.

The device shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 comprises a tubular metal case 1 to which a cover 2 is adjusted by three bayonet joints 3, constituted by the combination of bosses of the case 1 and slots in the cover 2. A cap 4 fits on the end of the cover 2 to protect, when the dispensing device is not used, a spraying head 5 with a vaporizing nozzle 6, said head is fitted on the push-stem 7 of an aerosol valve 8, which is set in the centre of the cover 2. This valve may be of the depress or push type, that is of the type opening under the action of an axial pressure exerted on this actuator, as shown, as well as of the deformation type, that is of the type opening under the action of a lateral or oblique pressure exerted on the actuator. Any conventional valve type is suitable for this embodiment.

A container 9 in the form of a tubular bellow or accordion containing the material to be vaporized, is tightly screwed on the body of the valve 8, inside the case 1.

The bottom of the container 9 rests on a push-plate 10 subjected to the action of a spring 11 hearing on the bottom of the case 1 to compress the container 9 towards the valve 8.

The case 1 is provided, in the proximity of its opening with a shrinkage 12 which prevents the spring 11 from throwing the push-plate outside when the case is opened to remove the container 9 and refill the device. When the container 9' is fully compressed, the spring 11 still exerts a force corresponding to a pressure ranging about 3 kg. per cm. on the material inside the container 9. Said pressure being suflicient to insure a good spraying.

To prepare and utilize such a device, one merely has to separate the cover 2 from the case 1, screw on the valve 8 a container 9 filled with liquid material to be vaporized, push back the spring 11 by forcing the container 9 in the case 1, fasten the cover 2 on the opening of the case 1, and press with one finger 13 the head 5, said case 1 being hand-held or resting on a holder 14.

In the other vaporizing device shown in FIG. 3, the bottom of the container 9 bears directly on the bottom of the case 1, and the valve 8 is crimped on the neck of the container 9. The vaporizing head 5, generally made of plastic, ends in a flange 15 which slides with smooth friction inside the case 1 while maintaining it in position. It is covered with an external metal cap 16 in which a hole is bored in register with the vaporizing nozzle 6 of the head 2.

In the type of valve shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 the pushtype stem opening the valve is carried by the head 2, but any type of depress valve is suitable for these embodiments, on conditions that the valve 8 opens only under a pushing of the stem compressing the container 9 against the bottom of the case 1, said pushing corresponding to a pressure of the material in the container 9, of at least about 3 kg. per cm.

In the similar embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the case 1 slides inside the external cap 16; the smooth friction preventing the case 1 from escaping is conventionally ensured by small bosses 17. Here the container is merely fitted by a tight cone-shaped sleeve joint on the body of the valve 8. It can be filled at will by the user, whereas the container of the device of FIG. 3 is supplied with its valve by the manufacturer of material to be pulverized, what avoids every inopportune pollution of this material.

The vaporizing devices of FIGS. 3 and 4 are working in the same way represented in FIG. 4. The user presses the device between two fingers 13 and 18, one of which is the thumb; one of these fingers bears on the head 2, the other on the bottom of the case 1. The valve 8 will open for vaporizing the liquid material enclosed in the container 9, only when the pressure inside the container will be suitable for a good vaporizing, i.e. ranging about at least 3 kg. per cm. for the type of conventional whirling vaporizing nozzle 6 shown in the drawings.

The new dispensing device shown in FIG. 5 merely comprises a container 9 screwed on the body of a depress valve 8, the push-stem of which fits on a head 2, the cap 16 of which is maintained by a nozzle 19 calibrating the jet of material when dispensing.

This latter device is operated and used in the same way as those of FIGS. 3 and 4, one of the fingers bearing directly on the bottom of the container 9;

The effort required for pushing the stem 7 which opens the valve 8 is determined by the valve closing-spring 2t), and adapted to the desired kind of dispensing; spray, more or less strong and heavy jet, as also to the more or less fluid consistence of the distributed substance.

The device shown in FIG. 6' comprises a tubular metal case 1 on which a cover 2 is screwed, a cap 4 fits on said cover and protects, when the dispensing device is not used, a vaporizing head 5 with a whirling vaporizing nozzle 6, which is prolonged by a push-stem 7 of an aerosol valve 8 sliding freely in an axial aperture of the cover 2. Such a valve 8, of conventional depress type, is sold under the trademark AR 74" by Aerosol Research Company. This valve 8 is crimped outside a plug 21, in the centre of which the threaded neck of an accordion-container is tightly screwed. Said container 9 is constantly subjected to the pressure of a spring 11, said pressure being transmitted by a plate 10'.

This embodiment is a close variant of the one shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 it essentially difiers therefrom by the fact that the valve 8 slides freely in the cover 2. Due to this freeing, if the pressure exerted by the spring 11 should happen to be lower than the antagonistic pressure required for ensuring the opening of the valve 8 by pushing the head 5 in opposition to the spring 20 of the valve 8, in that case the valve 8 would not open and would drive inside the case 1 pressing back the spring 11 until the head 5 abuts against the cover 2.

On the other hand, if the conditions are normal, i.e. the pressure exerted by the spring 11 is greater than the resistance opposed by the spring 20 to the pushing of the head 5, in that case the valve 8 remains applied against the cover 22 under the pressure of the spring 11 and the valve 8 opens under the pushing stress of the head 5.

Such a device ensures then a reliability in case of jamming or other damage to the spring 11.

It is understood that theinvention is not limited to the examples described and shown in the figures; it is liable to numerous changes in the reach of those skilled in the art within the scope of this invention: so it is that the spring 11 may be replaced by any other device capable of exerting a pressure on the container 9, more particularly a pneumatic device. The vaporizing head 5 may be replaced by a mere head dispensing material in the form of a jet or drop by drop.

What I claim is:

1. A dispensing container comprising:

a compressible container adapted to hold a product to be dispensed;

said compressible container having opposed first and second ends;

said first end having outlet opening means formed therein for dispensing said product;

said second end being closed to prevent said product from discharging therethrough;

valve means coupled with said compressible container at said first end thereof to control dispensing through said outlet opening means;

said valve means including a valve member movable between a closed position which prevents said product from discharging through said outlet opening means and valve means and an open position which permits said product to discharge through said out let opening means and valve means;

resilient means normally urging said valve member to said closed position;

said valve means including digitally operable means for applying an external pressure to said valve member in opposition to the urging of said resilient means to move said valve member to said open position;

said digitally operable means also applying a direct compressive force to the first end of said container to compress said container and to thereby increase the pressure interiorly thereof;

counterpressure means engageable against said container second end to exert a compressive force on said container, in a direction opposite to that of said direct compressive force from said digitally operable means; said direct compressive force and said opposite compressive force thus acting toward each other from opposite ends of said container to compress said container to build up the pressure therewithin;

said resilient means being operative to maintain said valve member in closed position until the applied compressive forces build up the pressure within said container to an amount which exceeds the force of said resilient means whereupon said valve member moves to open position and said product is dispensed from said container.

2. A dispensing container as defined in claim 1 wherein said container is of a collapsible bellows type.

3. A dispensing container as defined in claim 1 wherein said container is disposed within a casing means having a bottom surface which forms at least a part of said counterpressure means.

4. A dispensing container as defined in claim 3 further including a follower member disposed within said casing means in engagement with said container second end References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Fulton et a1. 222--95 Owens 222390 Simmons ZZZ-95 6 9/1953 Martin 22295 3/1954 MeBean 222,-386 .5 9/1957 Fee 222386 .5 5/1960 Michallef 22295 2/ 196-5 Hrebenek et a1. ZZZ-95 FOREIGN PATENTS 4/ 1931 Great Britain.

11/ 1955 Great Britain.

Hoffman 222-92 10 WALTER SOBIN, Primary Examiner. 

1. A DISPENSING CONTAINER COMPRISING: A COMPRESSIBLE CONTAINER ADAPTED TO HOLD A PRODUCT TO BE DISPENSED; SAID COMPRESSIBLE CONTAINER HAVING OPPOSED FIRST AND SECOND ENDS; SAID FIRST END HAVING OUTLET OPENING MEANS FORMED THEREIN FOR DISPENSING SAID PRODUCT; SAID SECOND END BEING CLOSED TO PREVENT SAID PRODUCT FROM DISCHARGING THERETHROUGH; VALVE MEANS COUPLED WITH SAID COMPRESSIBLE CONTAINER AT SAID FIRST END THEREOF TO CONTROL DISPENSING THROUGH SAID OUTLET OPENING MEANS; SAID VALVE MEANS INCLUDING A VALVE MEMBER MOVABLE BETWEEN A CLOSED POSITION WHICH PERVENTS SAID PRODUCT FROM DISCHARGING THROUGH SAID OUTLET OPENING MEANS AND VALVE MEANS AND AN OPEN POSITION WHICH PERMITS SAID PRODUCT TO DISCHARGE THROUGH SAID OUTLET OPENING MEANS AND VALVE MEANS; RESILIENT MEANS NORMALLY URGING SAID VALVE MEMBER TO SAID CLOSED POSITION; SAID VALVE MEANS INCLUDING DIGITALLY OPERABLE MEANS FOR APPLYING AN EXTERNAL PRESSURE TO SAID VALVE MEMBER IN OPPOSITION TO THE URGING OF SAID RESILIENT MEANS TO MOVE SAID VALVE MEMBER TO SAID OPEN POSITION, 